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In essence, now that Congress has apparently come to a screeching halt on health care reform, two trade groups for the health insurance industry, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, have rolled out a plan that will provide “doctors’ offices with a single way of accessing dozens of different health plans administered by five major insurers, including Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey.” Apparently, these five insurers represent 95% of people in NJ with private insurance. The plan is similar to one started earlier in Ohio. ”The program works by using a single website operated by Colorado-based Navinet, which is the nation’s largest healthcare communications network.”

“The ultimate goal is to have state-wide or regional-wide portals that span the country,’’ said Susan Pisano, spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans.

Christy Bell, senior vice president of healthcare management at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, said yesterday during a conference call announcing the program that one physician estimated his office spends between $60,000 and $100,000 a year just handling administrative issues — or required paperwork.

“We think we can remove a quarter to a third of those costs through streamlining and standardization,’’ Bell said.

Who said private industry, when left to its own devices, isn’t smarter and more efficient that Congress?